A wireless network transmits data packets using wireless signals based on electromagnetic waves, such as RF (radio frequency) signals. Wireless network diagnosis often requires determination if the wireless signal issues for a given device is caused by an access point (AP) via which the device accesses the wireless network, the floor plan where the AP and the device are located, or the device itself. In particular, the floor plan is a drawing showing relationships between physical features of a space or environment, such as devices and APs located on one level of an office building. Specifically, each point on the floor plan corresponds to a physical location in the space or environment.
Wireless signal attenuation, or path loss includes propagation losses caused by the natural expansion of the electromagnetic wave front in free space, absorption losses when the wireless signal passes through media not transparent to electromagnetic waves, diffraction losses when part of the electromagnetic wave front is obstructed by an opaque obstacle, and losses caused by other phenomena. For example, the wireless signal radiated by a transmitter may also travel simultaneously along many and different paths to a receiver; this effect is referred to as multipath. Multi path electromagnetic waves combine at the receiver antenna, resulting in a received signal that may vary widely, depending on the distribution of the intensity and relative propagation time of the electromagnetic waves and bandwidth of the transmitted wireless signal.